April 25, 2005 - The operative word in the above strapline is "currently". Electronic Arts is still keeping a lid on many of its hippest Madden '06 features, including what's rumored to be an outstanding revamp of the career mode, but we still managed to learn quite a bit from recent demonstrations and previous interviews. That quite a bit has, up until now, been scattered across the four corners of IGN's vast electronic empire.
It all changed last Friday when someone who wields more power than the average IGN no one wondered aloud, "Where's all the Madden coverage on IGN PS2?" To which the dutiful IGN PS2 editor's promptly responded, "It's on IGN Sports. Though some of it is also on IGN Insider, IGN Xbox, IGN PC and a variety of other miscellaneous IGN bulletin boards you'll likely never find. But rest assured that none of it is on IGN Babes, sir. Well, at least not much of it."
The questioner's rumbling disapproval sounded a lot like "guh" to the untrained ear, but to PS2 editor's it was more like, "Make me a PS2 Madden feature or I'll fire you and those kids on IGN GameCube for good measure."
We suppose it was inevitable, really. Even our own editor's can't be bothered to sift through so many different articles housed in so many different places. We need some kind of super feature. And so here we are. In the interest of keeping our reader's up-to-date and sane, we offer you this single article of halfway ultimate power.
Our compilation feature here will cover the basics, the implications of this Madden being the first title in EA's NFL exclusivity deal, some of the new components we can expect from the game, a handful of wishes, and finally a bit on the next-generation of football (last page). It's all super organized and accompanied by 32 new screenshots for your reading pleasure, too.
Keep in mind that this feature is not the end all to Madden 2006. Electronic Arts is expected to remain silent for some time now. We do anticipate being able to return at this year's E3 with updated impressions, but for now, you readers might as well enjoy all of the screens and goodies we've assembled thus far, eh?.
Whenever you finish perusing this majestic article of the football fantastic, please feel free to share your Madden wants, desires, concerns, and lusts with fellow fan freaks on our welcoming message boards. If it's your first time speaking with other game people, consider it a trial by fire...a trial by very hot molten rock fire that burns people and souls and the atoms that make up people and souls. Strangely, you'll probably love it. We do.
Release Info: Madden 2006 will release this August on PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube and PC, with undisclosed Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable releases to occur simultaneously or shortly thereafter. The game's official title will also be Madden NFL '06.
Cover: According to the Sports Business Journal, Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb has signed a deal with Electronic Arts to be the cover athlete for Madden NFL '06. Will he too be cursed? Other EA cover boys have met ill fates. Vick went down with an injury. Roy Jones got knocked out (a few times). Jason Giambi turned Balco. And, way back when, Buster Douglas felt the EA sting.
Limited Editions: There probably will not be a limited edition of Madden '06 released alongside the regular packages. Though, we cannot totally rule it out at this time.
Price: Prominent online retailers expect Madden NFL '06 to sell for approximately $49.99 American on PS2, Xbox and GCN.
Current Gen Mamba: The unstoppable juggernaut will continue to roll on current generation systems long after the advent of Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Revolution. '06 may mark a transitional year, but much in the same way Madden on PlayStation One endured until 2005, so will Madden on PS2, Xbox and GameCube.
ESPN: The ESPN rights do not apply to '06. Though, EA's take on ESPN is something like, "Already, what we've laid out goes well beyond the simple television broadcast approach. It'll also mean seeing games that EA, or anyone else, has never done before. We've really just started the process. It's a 15-year partnership.
Licensed to Kill: EA owns five years worth of NFL and NFLPA gaming. '06 will be the first year of that deal. Many gamers were wary of this exclusitivy initially. Still, EA insists that its product line will not suffer. If only VC, Sony and Midway could say the same things.
Competition: Even without another NFL boy on the block, EA will still be fighting against a few of its rivals who now hope to capitalize off other areas of interest within the sport of football. Both Midway and Sony are going for edgier, more story driven gameplay experiences with their titles. Blitz and Road to Sunday (respectively) will focus on controversial aspects of football that the NFL has previously disallowed in its licensed products. Expect both games by fall of 2005.
Let it Slide: Even without Visual Concepts to constantly kick the guys at Tiburon in the ass and keep them working, EA insists that its Madden line will excel. The official company blurb from spokespeople sounds a little something like, "Innovation has to do with the people who are creating the products, and the people who create those products are different than the ones who make these sorts of business deals."
Editors on Exclusivity: Our own IGN experts took time to converse at length about this exclusivity deal and what exactly it means for the industry and gamers in general.
Siblings: In addition to Madden, EA also has NCAA 2006 and a new Arena Football title in the works. NCAA will be a continuation of that beloved series but expect something completely different for AFL. According to EA, "This became a good opportunity for us when we started talking about creating both a new expression of football and a new type of game. Arena Football is a very different game. We're going to try to capture all that, as well as present it in a different way -- with new gameplay mechanics -- and really create a very different experience from our Madden franchise or our NCAA Football franchise."
Quarterback Vision: This optional feature is the highlight of '06. It's EA's fancy way of saying the passing mechanic has changed. Being able to see the field is a valuable skill for all football players, but it makes or breaks quarterbacks. Good QB vision is what separates Peyton Manning -- who can see the entire field -- from Eli Manning -- who can see out of his helmet's ear holes. It will also finally make that awareness rating of your QB important.
QBV Explained: In a nutshell, QBV passing will require quarterbacks to look at the receiver they're passing to in order to have the very best chance of completing a pass. Other bonuses of looking at intended receivers include having the option to precisely lead and place passes.
QBV, Deeper Level: Different quarterbacks have different fields of vision, for those with narrower fields, you'll have to direct the quarterback to a specific receiver by using an analog stick (no word on non-gamepad using PC players).
Animated Wonder: This year we'll see receivers stretch for passes and pivot to position themselves between the incoming pass and the defender. Fade routes will be a thing of beauty now that receivers will try to keep their feet in-bounds to catch a ball thrown with perfect touch over his outside shoulder. All of the animation routines in 2006 are being similarly revamped to cater to the improved gameplay.
?????? ????: Aside from the QBV and new animation routines, EA is keeping surprisingly tight-lipped about '06's features. Without competition, it seems EA feels less inclined to be forthcoming with information. We expect to learn more at this year's E3 in LA this May, but we're told that the meatiest additions will not be revealed until as late as July. Yikes.
Practice, Practice, Practice: Practice mode is a great way to learn plays, but it isn't deep enough. Not only should every team have a practice squad, but we also need the ability to change packages in practice mode.
New Drills: We would like to see some new drills added to the game, specifically on special teams. A punt and/or kick return drill could be fun, as could a drill where you're a gunner on the outside of a punt and you need to battle past blockers to smack the returner.
Human Error: It would be cool to see bad snaps or holds forcing a player to pick up the ball and roll out, looking to pass or run for the first down. Things that occur at random in football should also occur here. Maybe even have the occasional fan streak across the field...provided they are incredibly attractive or hilariously freakish, of course.
Free Agents: When dealing with free agents, general managers don't deal with the players, they deal with their agents. We want to see this reflected in 2006. We want greedy agents trying to get the biggest bonuses for their players, players who represent themselves should get less money because they don't know what they're doing.
Fantasy Football: Last year, EA Sports launched its own version of Fantasy Football. We want to see the next evolution of Fantasy Football where we play our regular fantasy season based on real life, but at the same time get together with our fantasy league and play through the season in Madden to get bonus points applicable to our league.
Mutant League: For the Love of all that is good and just in this world, will someone please take five seconds to approve a Mutant League Football remake already? You have no idea how sick and tired we all are of having to hook up our stupid Genesis systems every time we get that craving to smash skeletons up.
Complete List: Our own IGN Sports Editor-in-Chief, Jon Robinson, published three volumes of Madden wants and wishes. Please check those out if you really want to go nuts with the hoping and the praying.
It all changed last Friday when someone who wields more power than the average IGN no one wondered aloud, "Where's all the Madden coverage on IGN PS2?" To which the dutiful IGN PS2 editor's promptly responded, "It's on IGN Sports. Though some of it is also on IGN Insider, IGN Xbox, IGN PC and a variety of other miscellaneous IGN bulletin boards you'll likely never find. But rest assured that none of it is on IGN Babes, sir. Well, at least not much of it."
The questioner's rumbling disapproval sounded a lot like "guh" to the untrained ear, but to PS2 editor's it was more like, "Make me a PS2 Madden feature or I'll fire you and those kids on IGN GameCube for good measure."
We suppose it was inevitable, really. Even our own editor's can't be bothered to sift through so many different articles housed in so many different places. We need some kind of super feature. And so here we are. In the interest of keeping our reader's up-to-date and sane, we offer you this single article of halfway ultimate power.
Our compilation feature here will cover the basics, the implications of this Madden being the first title in EA's NFL exclusivity deal, some of the new components we can expect from the game, a handful of wishes, and finally a bit on the next-generation of football (last page). It's all super organized and accompanied by 32 new screenshots for your reading pleasure, too.
Keep in mind that this feature is not the end all to Madden 2006. Electronic Arts is expected to remain silent for some time now. We do anticipate being able to return at this year's E3 with updated impressions, but for now, you readers might as well enjoy all of the screens and goodies we've assembled thus far, eh?.
Whenever you finish perusing this majestic article of the football fantastic, please feel free to share your Madden wants, desires, concerns, and lusts with fellow fan freaks on our welcoming message boards. If it's your first time speaking with other game people, consider it a trial by fire...a trial by very hot molten rock fire that burns people and souls and the atoms that make up people and souls. Strangely, you'll probably love it. We do.
Release Info: Madden 2006 will release this August on PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube and PC, with undisclosed Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable releases to occur simultaneously or shortly thereafter. The game's official title will also be Madden NFL '06.
Cover: According to the Sports Business Journal, Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb has signed a deal with Electronic Arts to be the cover athlete for Madden NFL '06. Will he too be cursed? Other EA cover boys have met ill fates. Vick went down with an injury. Roy Jones got knocked out (a few times). Jason Giambi turned Balco. And, way back when, Buster Douglas felt the EA sting.
Limited Editions: There probably will not be a limited edition of Madden '06 released alongside the regular packages. Though, we cannot totally rule it out at this time.
Price: Prominent online retailers expect Madden NFL '06 to sell for approximately $49.99 American on PS2, Xbox and GCN.
Current Gen Mamba: The unstoppable juggernaut will continue to roll on current generation systems long after the advent of Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Revolution. '06 may mark a transitional year, but much in the same way Madden on PlayStation One endured until 2005, so will Madden on PS2, Xbox and GameCube.
ESPN: The ESPN rights do not apply to '06. Though, EA's take on ESPN is something like, "Already, what we've laid out goes well beyond the simple television broadcast approach. It'll also mean seeing games that EA, or anyone else, has never done before. We've really just started the process. It's a 15-year partnership.
Licensed to Kill: EA owns five years worth of NFL and NFLPA gaming. '06 will be the first year of that deal. Many gamers were wary of this exclusitivy initially. Still, EA insists that its product line will not suffer. If only VC, Sony and Midway could say the same things.
Competition: Even without another NFL boy on the block, EA will still be fighting against a few of its rivals who now hope to capitalize off other areas of interest within the sport of football. Both Midway and Sony are going for edgier, more story driven gameplay experiences with their titles. Blitz and Road to Sunday (respectively) will focus on controversial aspects of football that the NFL has previously disallowed in its licensed products. Expect both games by fall of 2005.
Let it Slide: Even without Visual Concepts to constantly kick the guys at Tiburon in the ass and keep them working, EA insists that its Madden line will excel. The official company blurb from spokespeople sounds a little something like, "Innovation has to do with the people who are creating the products, and the people who create those products are different than the ones who make these sorts of business deals."
Editors on Exclusivity: Our own IGN experts took time to converse at length about this exclusivity deal and what exactly it means for the industry and gamers in general.
Siblings: In addition to Madden, EA also has NCAA 2006 and a new Arena Football title in the works. NCAA will be a continuation of that beloved series but expect something completely different for AFL. According to EA, "This became a good opportunity for us when we started talking about creating both a new expression of football and a new type of game. Arena Football is a very different game. We're going to try to capture all that, as well as present it in a different way -- with new gameplay mechanics -- and really create a very different experience from our Madden franchise or our NCAA Football franchise."
Quarterback Vision: This optional feature is the highlight of '06. It's EA's fancy way of saying the passing mechanic has changed. Being able to see the field is a valuable skill for all football players, but it makes or breaks quarterbacks. Good QB vision is what separates Peyton Manning -- who can see the entire field -- from Eli Manning -- who can see out of his helmet's ear holes. It will also finally make that awareness rating of your QB important.
QBV Explained: In a nutshell, QBV passing will require quarterbacks to look at the receiver they're passing to in order to have the very best chance of completing a pass. Other bonuses of looking at intended receivers include having the option to precisely lead and place passes.
QBV, Deeper Level: Different quarterbacks have different fields of vision, for those with narrower fields, you'll have to direct the quarterback to a specific receiver by using an analog stick (no word on non-gamepad using PC players).
Animated Wonder: This year we'll see receivers stretch for passes and pivot to position themselves between the incoming pass and the defender. Fade routes will be a thing of beauty now that receivers will try to keep their feet in-bounds to catch a ball thrown with perfect touch over his outside shoulder. All of the animation routines in 2006 are being similarly revamped to cater to the improved gameplay.
?????? ????: Aside from the QBV and new animation routines, EA is keeping surprisingly tight-lipped about '06's features. Without competition, it seems EA feels less inclined to be forthcoming with information. We expect to learn more at this year's E3 in LA this May, but we're told that the meatiest additions will not be revealed until as late as July. Yikes.
Practice, Practice, Practice: Practice mode is a great way to learn plays, but it isn't deep enough. Not only should every team have a practice squad, but we also need the ability to change packages in practice mode.
New Drills: We would like to see some new drills added to the game, specifically on special teams. A punt and/or kick return drill could be fun, as could a drill where you're a gunner on the outside of a punt and you need to battle past blockers to smack the returner.
Human Error: It would be cool to see bad snaps or holds forcing a player to pick up the ball and roll out, looking to pass or run for the first down. Things that occur at random in football should also occur here. Maybe even have the occasional fan streak across the field...provided they are incredibly attractive or hilariously freakish, of course.
Free Agents: When dealing with free agents, general managers don't deal with the players, they deal with their agents. We want to see this reflected in 2006. We want greedy agents trying to get the biggest bonuses for their players, players who represent themselves should get less money because they don't know what they're doing.
Fantasy Football: Last year, EA Sports launched its own version of Fantasy Football. We want to see the next evolution of Fantasy Football where we play our regular fantasy season based on real life, but at the same time get together with our fantasy league and play through the season in Madden to get bonus points applicable to our league.
Mutant League: For the Love of all that is good and just in this world, will someone please take five seconds to approve a Mutant League Football remake already? You have no idea how sick and tired we all are of having to hook up our stupid Genesis systems every time we get that craving to smash skeletons up.
Complete List: Our own IGN Sports Editor-in-Chief, Jon Robinson, published three volumes of Madden wants and wishes. Please check those out if you really want to go nuts with the hoping and the praying.
